Knowmad Law

12/31/2024

Happy Public Domain Day! On January 1, 2025, copyright expires on the first appearances of Popeye and Tintin, the song and original recordings of "Singin' in the Rain," and numerous other 1929 works.

08/03/2024

Have an opinion regarding the relative quality of attorneys in Monterey County? Consider stopping by the and casting your vote for Christopher McElwain, the objectively best attorney located in that particular county. https://montereycountynow.com/bestof/

05/21/2024

You run to Atlanta when you need a few dollars / No you not a colleague you a effin colonizer

05/18/2024

Checking in with the local bar

08/09/2018

Is your smoke shop up to s***f? This post gives an overview of some of the regulations affecting to***co and cannabis sales in California.

Is your smoke shop up to s***f? Here's an overview of some of the regulations governing to***co and cannabis sales in California.

07/23/2018

Get ready for another round of emails about revised Terms of Service and Privacy Policies. The CCPA is the new standard for how online businesses handle user data.

When the CCPA goes into effect at the beginning of 2020, websites will need to be aware of several important new consumer rights and disclosure requirements.

07/16/2018

Big story in local intellectual property news: Monterey's Dali17 Museum has been sued by the Fundacio Gala-Salvador Dali for trademark infringement, copyright infringement and violations of Dali's right of publicity. Complaint available at www.knowmad.law/dali17-complaint

Monterey >> Rather than celebrating its two-year anniversary, Monterey’s Dali17 Museum is facing a lawsuit for what its claimants say is profiting illegally off of Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali. The complaint filed in federal co

07/11/2018

Pleased to announce SuperLawyer Magazine's selection of Chris McElwain for their list of the legal industry's top "Rising Stars" of 2018. Shine on, you crazy diamond!

06/27/2018

Did you know that broccoli, cabbage, kale, and brussels sprouts are all the same species of plant? That anyone can sell Honeycrisp apples but you'll need a license for its descendant, SweetTango? That one of the most expensive pot strains currently is called Loud Dream? Read our latest blog post for more on the importance of plant varietals.

Whether it's fruits, vegetables, wine grapes, cannabis, or any other commercial crop, plant varieties can be protected by patents, PVPAs, and/or trademarks

05/01/2018

One year flies by like the movement of lightly provisioned cavalry units. Huge thanks to everyone who's made the last 12 months such a success!

04/19/2018

Facebook has been taken to task in recent weeks for its failure to protect user data from third parties like Cambridge Analytica. But what can Internet companies do to prevent others from using their public data? A case now being considered by the Ninth Circuit could have big implications for businesses that rely on "scraping."

Can Internet companies protect their public data from being collected and used by competitors? What legal issues does "scraping" raise?

03/06/2018

In this month's blog post, we provide a brief introduction to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. 💾⚠️💾

Lawsuits under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) involve a broader range of activity than what most people think of as "hacking."